Turkey Prepares to Enact New Internet Censorship Law

A new bill passed in Turkey on Wednesday night could give the country’s governing powers the right to completely block access to any internet site they choose.

Turkey’s official regulatory agency, Telecommunication and Communication (TIB) could soon have the authority to ban access to any chosen Internet sites thanks to this new bill. According to the report by The Wall Street Journal, Turkish officials will have the ability to block websites within as little as four hours without any sort of official court ruling.

While this harsh bill has not been made an official law yet, it must either be approved or vetoed by Turkish president Abdullah Gul before it can come into effect. Unfortunately for Turkish internet users, the Wall Street Journal has pointed out that Gul has very rarely vetoed any proposed legislations since he first took office in 2007.

In addition to blocking internet sites, the bill will also require Turkish internet providers to retain traffic information for a number of years, which many see as a huge invasion of privacy.